Earlier this week Google launched AdWords Express (formerly known as Google boost) into the UK after successful trials in cities such as Sheffield and Liverpool. It’s a clever move for Google as the intuitive system is geared more towards those small businesses who wish to get found online. As with many Google products, it promises to make everything easier, quicker and faster; but does it?
Recent research from YouGOV discovered that 18% of SMEs using Google AdWords actually regain their investment, which is quite daunting and clearly an area of concern for almost 4 in 5 of businesses.
Traditionally with Google AdWords, you have to select keywords yourself, however, with Express, all you do is designate an amount for the month and they’ll do the hard work for you, based on your business and category. It certainly makes it easier for smaller businesses who are often perplexed by the ‘intense’ bigger brother, Google AdWords.
Sign up is promised to be a breeze, taking roughly half the time as Google AdWords, which allows these smaller businesses to be found – what’s more, you don’t actually need a website – just a postal code, which brings in a whole new element to advertising.
Think of it as an online Yellow pages mixed in with Google Places.
Being in the affiliate arena, it’ll be interesting to see where affiliates can take this. Larger merchants won’t feel the need to immerse themselves in the arena, but what about the smaller merchants with affiliates – who’s to say that an affiliate can’t pin point each store in the UK and drive traffic online. With the boundaries of offline and online becoming ever so blurred with voucher codes being used both on an online capacity and in-store, I can only see this affiliates embracing this rather new initiative.
Time will indeed tell however; Google’s promise of an easy new product to set up may not require the full force of affiliates, but they may be required for ‘back up’ to block out competitors for the more smaller merchants. It’s certainly interesting and I guess we’ll wait and see what advancements are planned for Express, which would cement itself in the top projects affiliates must watch out for in 2012.
About the author
Chris Blower - Chris has been working for R.O.EYE since October 2008. He arrived fresh out of university, graduating with a first class honours degree in Marketing Management from Manchester Metropolitan University.